Events
Date of Baptism: 26 April 1801.
Place of Baptism: Dilhorne, Staffordshire, England (All Saints).
The baptism is given in the parish register.
Date of Burial: 26 October 1838.
Place of Burial: Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire (St Peter ad Vincula).
The burial is recorded in the parish register (age 37, abode Fenton).
Relationships
Father: James Bradshaw (1760 - 1836).
Mother: Ann Degg (1771 - 1816).
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: William Harper (1802 - 1878). Married 22 February 1829 in Fulford, Staffordshire.
The marriage is recorded in the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Ann Harper (born 31 December 1829; baptized 17 July 1831, Methodist New Connexion, Longton Circuit - died 1897) married George Castle 27 March 1853 in Stoke on Trent (St Peter ad Vincula).
William Harper (born 15 July 1831; baptized 17 July 1831, Methodist New Connexion, Longton Circuit - died 1895) married (1) Rose Ann Harris 22 December 1851 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire; married (2) Jane Guest 6 August 1856 in Old Swinford, Worcestershire.
Ann Harper (born 21 April 1833; baptized 7 May 1833 in the Wesleyan Chapel of Fenton).
Charles Harper (born 8 July 1834; baptized 9 September 1834 in the Wesleyan Chapel of Fenton - buried 27 February 1886 in Fenton, Staffordshire) married Mary Ann Perry 25 December 1876 in Normacot, Staffordshire.
Evidence
Baptisms of Sarah’s children
Methodist New Connexion Chapel in Longton and Lane End:
Child’s Name: Ann Harper
When Born: 1829 Dec 31st
When Baptized: 1831 July 17th
No. of Children: 1st Child
Parents’ Names: of William Harper of Penkhull in the Parish of Stoke upon Trent Labourer by Sarah Daug’r of James and Ann Bradshaw of Forsbrook in the County of Stafford
By whom Baptized: Geo Salt
Child’s Name: William Harper
When Born: 1831 July 15
When Baptized: 1831 July 17
No. of Children: 2nd Child
Parents’ Names: of William Harper of Penkhull in the Parish of Stoke upon Trent Labourer by Sarah Daughter of James and Ann Bradshaw of Forsbrook in the County Stafford
By whom Baptized: Geo Salt
The Wesleyan Chapel of Fenton:
Ann the Daughter of William Harper of Fenton in the Parish of Stoke in the County of Stafford Labourer and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter of James and Ann Bradshaw was born on the Twenty first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty Three: And was solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Seventh day of May the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty Three by me W Homer
Charles the Son of William Harper of Fenton in the Parish of Stoke upon Trent in the County of Stafford Labourer and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter of James and Ann Bradshaw was born on the Eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty Four: And was solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Ninth day of September the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty Four by me Samuel Robinson
On 26 May 1839, three children were rebaptized in the parish church of Stoke upon Trent (St Peter ad Vincula). In each case, the parents were given as William Harper of Fenton, labourer, and Sarah. There are some discrepancies with birth dates:
Ann, Born Dec 31. 1829
William, Born July 3rd 1831
Charles, Born July 8th 1834
Commentary
Sarah’s parentage:
The baptism entries of Sarah’s first two children, Ann and William Harper, record their mother as Sarah daughter of James and Ann Bradshaw of Forsbrook in the County of Stafford.
In his 1836 will, James Bradshaw of Forsbrook names his daughter Sarah.
James Bradshaw and Ann Degg were married in Dilhorne in 1793. They had three children baptized there shortly after, including Sarah. The parents of the children are recorded as James and Ann in the baptism entries.
There is supporting DNA evidence that Sarah is a daughter of James Bradshaw. I am a paper-descendant of Sarah, and I share DNA with two paper-trail descendants of Sarah’s brother James (18 cM over 2 segments with one; 13 cM over 1 segment with the other); and with two paper-trail descendants of Sarah’s sister Catherine (16 cM over 1 segment with both). The descents are well documented. The trees for the descendant of Sarah’s brother James are relatively complete back to the relevant time period, and the common descent from James Bradshaw and Ann Degg is the only apparent explanation for the matches. (The trees for Catherine’s descendants are private.)
The evidence that Sarah’s parents were James Bradshaw and Ann Degg is sufficient.
References
Sarah Bradshaw baptism, Dilhorne, Staffordshire parish register; FHS microfilm 1470943, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NKZ9-89K : accessed 12 Apr 2014), William Harper and Sarah Bradshaw, 22 Feb 1829; citing Fulford,Stafford,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 426546, 435859.
Register of Births and Baptisms at the Methodist New Connexion Chapel in Longton and Lane End, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire from 1811 to 1835. National Archives Reference RG4, piece 2722; digital images on Findmypast.co.uk (accessed 12 April 2014).
Register of Births and Baptisms at the Wesleyan Chapel of Fenton, Staffordshire from 1799 to 1837. National Archives Reference RG4, piece 2720, folio 22; digital images on Findmypast.co.uk (accessed 12 April 2014).
GRO index, Deaths Dec 1838, Stoke upon Trent, Volume 17, page 95. General Register Office. England and Wales. Civil Registration Certificates. (London, United Kingdom: General Register Office).
Parish registers, Stoke upon Trent, St Peter ad Vincula. [Digital image on Findmypast.co.uk, accessed 7 November 2015]
Marriages solemnized in the Parish of Stone & Chapel of Fulford. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 11 March 2018.
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for James Bradshaw database report, AncestryDNA. Accessed 22 February 2025.